School budgets are too small. There is no way around it. Many school buildings around the US are outdated and falling apart, and they often need to be replaced with newer, fresher buildings. But how do you build a new school building on such a small budget? Here are two ways to save money when moving to a new school building.

1. Design the Building Efficiently

Saving money after the building is completed is one of the most financially conscious decisions you can make. Whether you decide to upgrade restrooms to use less water, conserve on heating and air conditioning as much as possible, or find some other way to be more energy-efficient, it can all help reduce overall costs. There are also educational campus planning companies that can help you plan the layout of your school while keeping consistently waning educational budgets in mind.

2. Partnerships

Schools all around the country have found different ways to partner with companies in recent years. With personal computers for every student quickly becoming the new standard for public schools, it can be helpful to partner with a tech company. To bring in some money to the cafeteria, you can partner with fast-food chains to bring small franchises to your cafeteria. Instead of building your own facilities, partner with already existing community facilities for extra-curricular needs. There are dozens of ways schools have found to partner with businesses and companies of all kinds to bring in money the school cannot bring in alone.

As much as you may hate the idea of bringing unhealthy fast-food into your school or cutting certain extra-curricular areas, there is often no way around these compromises with the budget you are given. You need to do as much as you can for you and your students with the limited resources given to you.